Well, it's been a hell of a ride, laying rubber all over the road for the past decade. But it's time to call it a day and park the Rogue in the garage. Effective today, I am shutting down my blog to focus my attention on other endeavours. My thanks to the more than 2.7 million people who regularly joined me on these sojourns through news stories over the years that dealt with the places with issues of religion and faith intersecting with public affairs. May God bless you with a continuing desire to learn about and help disseminate the issues of faith throughout the public square. Happy trails in your continuing travels! Fr. Tim Moyle, p.p. Diocese of Pembroke
Reflections from the pastoral ministry of an Evangelical Catholic Priest.
The US has a constitutional amendment that requires the state to not endorse a religion. We in Canada don't. My experience growing up in a area that was quite anti-Catholic was that public schools pushed the Protestant version of Christianity. We recited the Protestant version of the Lord's prayer, read from the King James Bible and in junior high the entire school was taken to a showing of "The cross and the switchblade" complete with Baptist ministers to receive our conversion to Jesus. (This was in public school in the 60's and 70's in Canada). Also the Christmas concert was a nativity recreation and non stop Christmas carols which, during Advent, as a Catholic I found unusual.
ReplyDeleteNow at my son's school the Winter concert is a combination of themes. There are Christian carols including a student rearrangement of an old Danish carol, but also songs from the traditions that are more inclusive, Jewish, Muslim, native, etc. I find this much more enjoyable and comfortable.
Michael: I have no issue with what you wrote since you are open to seasonal music, be it religious or secular. The folks who are described in the article are not nearly as open-minded as you since they are doing their best to wipe every and all vestige of religious expression from the public square.
DeleteFr. Tim